Predators predictions from around the web

Blackhawks in five or six seems to be a trend. Let's prove 'em wrong, shall we?

The Hockey News picks Chicago. No surprise there, they haven't really taken a liking to the Preds.

No one ever expects the Predators to be any more than a playoff bubble team, yet with limited resources they’ve qualified five of the past six seasons. The Blackhawks still have some unsettled issues (goaltending, power play) and would be well-advised to not look beyond the opening round. All the same, it’s tough to overlook Chicago’s stunning offensive weapons. Chicago in six

Damien Cox from the Canadian paper The Star, picks the Blackhawks to finish us early.

Hawks goalie Antti Niemi went 6-0-1 down the stretch and all of the Windy City’s newly invigorated hockey fans are hoping he can avoid being the club’s Achilles heel in the post-season. The pesky Predators always look like a threat, but in 10 seasons they’ve never won a playoff series. Only two Nashville players, Martin Erat and Patric Hornqvist, scored more than 20 goals.Chicago, like Washington, looks iffy in the crease. But that won’t stop the Hawks eliminating Nashville in five.

Another Canadian newspaper, The Vancouver Sun, also picks Chicago to move on.

 Like the Sharks, the Blackhawks are so loaded with scary offensive threats (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith) that even the defensively strong and well-coached Predators will have difficulty controlling Chicago’s speed and skill. Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi looks solid enough to give Chicago a long playoff run, but Nashville could make it a longer series if defensive stars Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis and goaltender Pekka Rinne come up big. Nashville may even receive some long overdue credit by pushing Chicago. If you knew that Patric Hornqvist was the team’s leading goal scorer (30), you know more than most NHL fans. Prediction: Blackhawks in 6.

Ray Ferraro from TSN gives us two games, but Chicago still wins the series according to him.

Chicago will have their hands full with pesky Nashville, but they will prevail in six. 

but Scott Cullen also from TSN picks Nashville as one of the top 3 teams to pull off an upset, even though he predicts the Hawks winning the series.

This one's from a Chicago paper, so no surprise they pick their Blackhawks in five.

The Hawks have five days to shake off their loss to the Detroit Red Wings, which ended their goal of finishing first in the conference. The Predators have a check-first style, which can slow down quick transition teams such as the Hawks. But the Hawks' depth up front will be the difference. The Predators steal one at home, but Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews are too much. Hawks in five.

All of Yahoo Sports's "experts" pick Chicago. This is what they have to say.

Puck Daddy: Rinne makes this series closer than it would otherwise be, but the Blackhawks put the clamps on an underrated offense from Nashville. Hawks in 6.

Sam McCaig: Anonymous Preds are no joke, and play a physical, defense-first game that should stifle the offensively gifted 'Hawks. Still, talent trumps all and Chicago is loaded. Hawks in 7.

Ross McKeon: The Predators finally get someone other than Detroit or San Jose in a playoff matchup, but they still won't win a game on the road and they still won't advance. Hawks in 5.

Matt Ronig: Big series for unproven 'Hawks goalie Niemi, who started only one of six vs. Preds this year. Hawks in 6.

Pierre Lebrun from ESPNalso picks...you guessed it, Chicago.

Preds coach Barry Trotz, one of the best in the game, gets every ounce of value from his frugal payroll, and his team rarely, if ever, gets outworked. But Nashville is simply overmatched in this series by a Hawks team groomed for this postseason. Hawks in five games.

And the first and only national site to give the Preds a win is Paul Kukla over at NHL.com

Predators in seven. What? Yes, you read it here first. The Predators finally figure out how to win a road game in the playoffs by actually winning two road games. Game 7 comes down to goaltending, which Nashville wins.